Archive for April 25th, 2016

In the last decade or so, the rise of eSports has been impressive to say the least. While video and social media platforms such as Youtube and Facebook have both helped to spread the word of eSports and competitive gaming, the ‘sport’ in general is booming thanks to key personalities who have left their mark on the world of online gaming.

The likes of Syndicate, KSIOlajidebt and Felix Kjellberg have helped to enhance the appeal of online gaming – largely down to their publicity and likeable personalities. Nowadays, there are plenty of vloggers who attempt to follow in their footsteps and commentate over their gameplay whilst playing FIFA, Call of Duty and more.

But behind the scenes, eSports have been growing and it’s now much more than a few famous faces on the internet. ESports ARE a global brand. They are huge. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake in their daily tournaments and the best players in the world are making an absolute fortune on a weekly basis.

In fact, you can now place bets on eSports – THAT’S how big they are. Betway have a growing market dedicated specifically to eSports and punters can place bets on tournaments, individual games and team competitions. And best of all, eSports are only going to get bigger in the future as more money is invested.

The latest partnership deal with both Yahoo and Twitch, which will see major competitions broadcast all over the world, is just the next step for what is perhaps the fastest growing market on the planet. Most people believe that Youtube is a gold mine but eSports is much more impressive – the scale of money involved is frightening.

Earlier this year, the 2016 FIFA Interactive World Cup was held in New York City – with the top 32 players in the world travelling to the United States’ East Coast for the competition. On that occasion, Denmark’s Mohamad Al Bacha came up trumps as he defeated England’s Sean Allen in the final of the competition.

For that, Al Bacha emerged with £20,000, the trophy presented by Franck Ribery and a ticket to the next FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremony. And while the cash incentives are much greater for other competitions, it’s quickly becoming more about the perks of the job and the potential achievements for being one of the top players in the world.

As eSports continue to grow, the global audience and market will also increase. This year, the FIWC final was broadcast live on Sky Sports and it’s only a matter of time before a dedicated eSports television channel springs up. Then, and only then, will people start to accept it for what it is: a corporate, money-making machine.